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[quote]Polling the 'cell phone only' crowd
Pollsters, researchers tackle `hard-to`-track population
Friday, February 25, 2005 Posted: 11:58 AM EST (1658 GMT)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- They're mainly young, single and urban. They move frequently, usually renting rather than owning their homes. Pollsters call them "cell phone only" because they don't own traditional phones.
As this `hard-to`-track population grows, so does the problem of accurately incorporating them into polling and scientific surveys that seek to measure everything from health and business practices to political attitudes.
For now, the problem is most pressing in areas of research where the attitudes of young adults are sought, like surveys of radio listener preferences.
Paul Lavrakas, a public opinion researcher at Nielsen Media Research, organized a meeting in New York City this month where pollsters and others involved in survey research discussed ways to address the `cell-phone`-only issue. One major aim is to learn how to deal with this population before the next presidential election.
[quote]Leading up to the 2004 presidential election there was concern polling would suffer because of difficulties reaching cell phone users. Surveyors accommodated for this by giving extra weight to young adults, and the phone polls turned out to be generally accurate.